GAME
ALL-STAR DOCTOR
Triton athletes share care with the pros .
BY HEATHER BUSCHMAN , PHD ’ 08
AS UC SAN DIEGO COACHES , staff and athletes prep for NCAA Division I competition , they do so with power behind them : the San Diego Padres ’ team physician .
Catherine Robertson , MD ’ 02 , has been caring for Triton athletes ever since she returned to her alma mater as a faculty member and orthopedic surgeon in 2009 . She soon worked her way up to become chief of sports medicine at UC San Diego Health , all the while heading up medical care for the Padres . But that ’ s not all — she ’ s also the lead physician in UC San Diego Health ’ s partnership with the U . S . Olympic Committee and previously served as a team physician for the San Diego Chargers .
Robertson specializes in treating injuries of the shoulder , knee and hip — and it helps that she ’ s an athlete herself . She grew up in Southern California as a competitive soccer player and youth equestrian . Today , she stays active by running , skiing and scuba diving .
“ I love seeing people get better and going back to the sport or activity they did before an injury ,” Robertson says . “ I also love hearing from old patients who have had success in their sport . Sometimes I ’ ll get an email or a picture years later , and I ’ m always impressed by what my patients have achieved .”
A REAL PRO Alumna Catherine Robertson , MD ’ 02 , is team doctor for the San Diego Padres as well as UC San Diego Athletics .
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